MAFS UK has finished for another year and the cast of 2023 were more than happy to cause an extortionate amount of marriage mayhem during the social experiment/reality TV show.
Several grooms were kicked off the show, there have been talks of a cheating scandal and just three couples made it to the finish line still together. Chaos.
Since MAFS UK has so many raw and real moments, it’s easy to forget that it’s a carefully orchestrated experiment which is why we love when the cast open up about what goes on behind the scenes.
In a recent Q&A on her social media account, Erica Roberts, who was matched with Jordan Gayle on the romance reality show revealed some BTS secrets and we have to say, we're team Erica on this one.
One fan asked the dancer, "Do you get money towards MAFS clothes for dinner parties etc?"
If you are in the show for the long haul you will have to attend countless meals with your fellow MAFS guys and girls and we all expect the cast to look top tier, which they always do, but to not be given a cheeky £100 for a new outfit is not a vibe.
"Nope we get f allll😂😂😂" Erica replied, "All my outfits were my own that I either already had of bought for coming on the show! Luckily I didn't have to buy much I rewore a lot of my clothes I already had in my wardrobe!!👗 The hardest thing was packing knowing you could be away for 2 months or 2 days depending how things go 😂I defo overpacked."
Girl after our own heart. Anyone else pack nine pairs of pants when you're going away for a weekend?
We are 30 years old, we're not sure what we think is going to possibly happen which means we require three pairs of knickers for one day, but old habits and all that.
Either way, Erica always looked UNREAL whether it was chilling at the spa or attending a dramatic dinner party, in fact all the brides from this year's MAFS had gorge outfits at every event.
More Married At First Sight secrets...
Married At First Sight cast have a curfew
The producers have a lot of control over every aspect of the contestants' lives, including their bedtime. It turns out, the entire cast has a 7pm curfew.
Tasha Jay, who married Paul Liba on the show, told us, “Oh my God, it was awful. You feel like a child, but because you're in this new environment, and you've got to respect everyone around you… you have to respect it.”
However, viewers of this season will know that these brides and grooms are not exactly rule followers, and Tasha was no exception.
“A lot of us did break it - we would sneak off because we're adults at the end of the day. I want dinner a bit later, I'm going over the road to go get some food. I want me chicken wings and me chips. I don't care if it's past seven o'clock. I'm only across the road - if you need me, I'll wave.”
She also explained that she had to justify the trip and give a valid reason for leaving.
“Sometimes they would let you off or even suggest, ‘Oh, can they come with you?’ And you'd be like ‘Yeah, we're literally just getting food’ but then sometimes food turned into a drink and then it would just be awful. There was a bar right next to the chicken stand, so I couldn't say no.”
Married At First Sight producers monitor phone time
Although we were living for the on-screen drama of this season’s MAFS UK, it seems like every week more behind-the-scenes secrets are revealed.
This time, it’s Peggy Rose - who married Georges Berthonneau on the show - and she's spilling the tea on how the producers keep tabs on the brides and grooms.
She explained that in order to ensure filming was kept under wraps, the producers would monitor and restrict everyone’s phone time.
She said, “You can get your phone if you need extra eyelashes or, you know, I didn't think that I would be there one week, let alone... week six, so I didn't have all my outfits.
"So if you need to order something for a dinner party, or, they say, ‘Couples Retreat’ and you're like, ‘Crap, I haven't got a bikini’ then you'd get your phone and order it. So, you are allowed it, but they watch you.”
Okay, this is creepy, and while we understand they can’t have the contestants revealing anything about the experiment, we didn’t realise just how closely they’re being monitored. It’s no wonder this season has had so many scandals considering they aren’t even allowed to text each other.
She continued, “They make sure you're not giving away any secrets. So, you have your phone monitored. You can use it for like, I think the maximum I used it for was about 20 minutes at a time, and it was once every few days. Maybe not even that.”
And we thought the Love Island cast had it hard with a complete phone blackout. Having access for twenty minutes a day but not being able to talk to anyone somehow feels even worse.
Married At First Sight's wedding budget
Another bride who has spilled the tea on the show is Ella Morgan Clark. During a chat on The Saving Grace podcast she opened up about her budget for the wedding dress.
"Yes. So basically, they gave us a budget, I don't know if I'm allowed to say but I'm going to anyway," she began.
Classic reality TV star move; revealing something you're supposed to be keeping schtum about.
"£1,200 – that was meant to cover your wedding dress, bridesmaids, bear in mind I had three bridesmaids," she added.
£1,200 would just about cover the designer shoes we have in mind for our wedding day, and yet all the brides managed to look drop dead gorge on their wedding days.
Channel 4, please do better.
Married At First Sight's drinking limit
Series one babe Amy Christophers has also spilled the tea on the odd rules couples had to follow including how much they’re allowed to drink.
Amy, who married Joshua Christieon the show, admitted that drinks weren’t exactly rationed during filming. That probably explains the dinner party showdowns.
"There wasn't really a cap on it. They tried to stop us getting too smashed, but we were all quite strong willed.
"We were a nightmare to try and control. I actually feel bad for production. We were a total nightmare and hated having our freedom taken away," she told The Sun.
Amy also spilled the tea on what they eat during the experiment, revealing that they had ‘£50 to spend on takeaways’ and a ‘£100 weekly shopping budget’ from a supermarket.
"I actually bought food and did cook for Josh occasionally, but then we realised everyone else was using their supermarket budget for booze.
"So we ended up doing the same," she confessed.
Amy also said even though there was a gym in the apartment buildings, COVID regulations meant that only one person could train at a time.
However, a MAFs spokesperson denied claims of ‘unlimited’ booze on set, telling the publication, "Alcohol intake was monitored across the shoot, which took place during the course of a single evening, and producers prioritised the contributor’s safety and wellbeing at all times."
Amy and Josh's romance sadly didn't last very long as they split soon after the commitment ceremony.